— by Lin McNulty —
Smoke emanating from a Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) controlled burn on Yellow Island caught the attention of many islanders on Saturday as the haze wafted its way near Orcas.
Winds on Saturday were measured at 16 – 22 mph from the NOAA Weather station on Saturna Island. Although temperatures were only in the high 60s on Saturday, the warm breeze felt hot.
Rich Dodd, DNR NW District Regional Manager, explains that a burn plan and lighting plan had been submitted and approved. Even though a statewide burn ban is currently in effect, an exception for fire-dependent eco-systems was granted to preserve the role of fire as an ecosystem process on the island. The only time to effective complete this process is during the summer months.
The burn was a success, making way for new growth on Yellow Island.
